Shadows of the moon - Book 2 in the Moonlight series

Chapter 19: bound by fire

I could feel the tension crackling between them, like static electricity building in the air. Ryland’s protectiveness wasn’t just simmering beneath the surface anymore—it was breaking through, his alpha instincts flaring in response to Griffin’s cavalier tone.

Before it could escalate, I cut in, shooting Griffin a sharp look. “Griffin, enough. You’re not helping.” Then I turned to Ryland, my voice firm but softening at the edges. “And you—calm down. We don’t have time for this.”

Ryland’s jaw tightened, but he exhaled slowly, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. His golden gaze flicked to mine, a quiet apology lingering there, though his wolf still simmered just beneath the surface.

I took a breath, grounding myself before continuing. “After the escape… I don’t know what happened to Eleanor. I haven’t heard anything. She stayed behind to cover for us, to give us time to get out.” My voice cracked slightly, the memory of her fiery determination flashing through my mind. “She said she’d do whatever it took to protect the others—to protect us. But I know she didn’t do it for Shaun. She didn’t do it because she wanted to.”

“She did it for her coven,” Kara said quietly, her fingers drumming against the table again. “She said they were still being held. Hostages.”

“Maybe we can find her,” I said, my voice gaining strength as the thought took root. “Maybe she’s still alive. And if she is, maybe her coven is, too. They might know more about Shaun and his plans. And they might be willing to help us.”

Wayne leaned forward, his brow furrowed in thought. “Finding her might not be easy. If she’s alive, she’ll be deep in rogue territory, like the others.”

“It’s the only lead we have,” Ryland said firmly, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. His golden eyes flicked to me again, steady and unwavering. “And if Eleanor is still out there, we owe it to her to try.”

“She’s the only one who might know how Shaun managed to pull this off,” Griffin added, his usual smirk fading into something more serious. “Whatever control he has over wolves, she was at the center of it. If anyone can help us figure out how to stop him, it’s her.”

The room fell silent again, the gravity of the situation settling over us like a heavy blanket. My mother’s voice broke the quiet, trembling slightly as she spoke. “Do you really think she’s alive?” she asked, her eyes wide and filled with hope and fear in equal measure.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice soft but resolute. “But I have to try. She risked everything for us—for me. I owe her that much.”

Ryland’s hand brushed against mine under the table, the subtle touch grounding me, anchoring me in a way I didn’t realize I needed. His voice was steady but low, meant just for me. “You won’t do it alone, Scarlett. Whatever happens, I’m with you.”

I nodded, the weight of his words settling deep in my chest. “Then we start there,” I said, looking around the room, meeting each gaze in turn. “We find Eleanor. And we stop Shaun before he destroys anyone else.”

The silence that followed was deafening, the weight of the decision pressing down on us like a physical force. My hands tightened into fists at my sides, my pulse steady as I made the decision I already knew was inevitable.

“I’ll go,” I said quietly, my voice breaking the silence like a hammer.

Every head turned to me, but it was Ryland’s gaze I felt the most—sharp and unrelenting, his wolf stirring beneath the surface. He didn’t speak right away, but I could see the storm building behind his eyes—the clash between his instincts as an alpha and the pull of the mate bond.

“You’re not going alone,” he said finally, his voice low and unyielding.

“I wasn’t planning to,” I shot back, my voice harder than I intended. “But I have to go. This started with me, Ryland. It’s my fight.”

The air between us buzzed, the mate bond humming like a taut wire, pulling me toward him even as my resolve tried to hold firm. “I know that,” I said, my voice softening. “But I need to do this.”

Ryland’s jaw tightened, his golden eyes blazing. “Then I’m going with you.”

“Me too,” Kara said, her voice steady and unyielding as she leaned forward. “We started this together, Scar. We’ll finish it together.”

Griffin leaned against the wall, his smirk sharp and faintly amused. “Guess I’m coming too. Can’t let you three have all the fun.”

Ryland’s gaze snapped to him, his wolf bristling. “This isn’t a game, Griffin.”

“Didn’t say it was,” Griffin replied, his smirk widening. “But you’ll need me. You know it.”

The tension between them crackled like electricity, but I stepped in before it could boil over. “We leave in a week,” I said firmly, my voice steady. “Pack what you need. We don’t know how long this will take.”

Darren and my mother tried to protest, their voices breaking with emotion, but I cut them off with fire in my eyes. “This isn’t up for discussion. I’ve already been through hell, and I won’t find peace until Shaun is gone for good.”

As I turned to leave, Ryland followed, his presence steady and unyielding beside me. He caught up in the hallway, his hand brushing mine. I stopped, turning to face him.

“You’re not doing this alone,” he said, his voice low but filled with quiet intensity. “Whatever happens, Scarlett—whatever we find—you have me. You always have me.”

I met his gaze, the firelight flickering in his golden eyes. And for a moment, I let myself believe him.

The air in the packhouse was so heavy it felt alive, like something crawling under my skin. Every word from the meeting earlier still lingered, hanging over me like a storm cloud that refused to break. I could feel it pressing down on my chest as I moved through the hallways, the sound of my footsteps swallowed by the silence. I didn’t belong inside right now. The walls felt too close, the ceilings too low, like they were trying to crush me under the weight of my own thoughts.

When I reached the front door, I didn’t hesitate. I pushed it open and stepped outside, the early morning air biting into my skin like a slap. The cold was sharp and clean, cutting through the fog in my head just enough for me to take a real breath. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, its light stretched thin across the landscape in soft, muted golds and pinks. The world felt suspended, as if it hadn’t quite woken up yet.

But I was wide awake. Too awake. My chest burned with something restless, something untamed, and I knew I couldn’t stay still. My wolf was pacing beneath my skin, clawing to get out, to run, to feel something other than the crushing weight of everything we were about to face.

“I need to run,” I said, the words slipping out before I even realized Ryland was behind me. But of course, he was. His presence was a steady warmth at my back, familiar and grounding, even when I didn’t want to be grounded.

His footsteps were soft on the porch, the creak of the old boards the only sound between us. He didn’t speak right away, didn’t rush me. When he finally did, his voice was low and rough, like he was holding back something deeper. “Feel free to join me,” I added, glancing over my shoulder to look at him. His golden eyes met mine, sharp and steady as always. “Alpha.”

The corner of his mouth lifted, a slow, predatory smile that made my pulse skip. His eyes gleamed, catching the first light of the rising sun. “I’ll follow you anywhere, my mate,” he said, his voice rich and velvety, tinged with something primal that made my wolf stir eagerly.

His words lit a spark inside me, and I didn’t wait for him to say anything else. I stepped forward, letting the shift roll over me in a rush of heat and power. Bones cracked, fur spilled over my skin, and the cool morning air turned electric as my wolf surged forward, her paws hitting the ground in one fluid movement. She didn’t hesitate—she ran.

The world blurred around me, the trees and earth melting into streaks of color as I tore through the clearing and into the woods. The wind howled past me, sharp and biting, but I welcomed it. Every stride was like shedding a layer of the weight I’d been carrying, shaking loose the tension in my chest, my muscles, my mind. I ran like the forest was mine, like I could own the world if I just moved fast enough.

Behind me, I felt Ryland. His presence was impossible to ignore, his energy brushing against mine like a steady hand on my shoulder. He shifted quickly, his storm-gray wolf surging forward to match my pace. He didn’t push ahead, didn’t try to take the lead. He ran beside me, his movements fluid and powerful, his quiet strength grounding even in its wildness.